(mnichols) Lake Jackson - Florala, AL Lake Jackson was a popular hang out of my friends and myself when we were in high school. It is a state park, named after Andrew Jackson. There are many pluses to visiting this park. The scenery is beautiful. You can escape the often extreme Alabama heat by swimming in the lake or sitting under the beautiful shade trees. You can have picnics with your families and friends. You can fish from the banks or the pier. You can do various water sports, such as jet skiing, tubing, and/or boating. You can walk, run, or bicycle on the man-made trails. Your children can play on the playground on the property. As you can see, there are many fun options available for people of all ages. If you'd like to see a little more for yourself, check out Lake Jackson's info page at http://www.alapark.com/Florala/.
(ssmith) Bellingrath Gardens - Theodore, AL These gardens have a special place in everybody's heart and if you haven't had the opportunity to visit, you need to do so! Located in Theodore, AL, the gardens are within close proximity to larger communities/cities, such as Mobile. This is a great place to create memories with your loved ones and there are plenty of learning experiences for children. The staff are extraordinary and relate well to large groups of students, allowing for plenty of opportunity to experience nature and local history (the home of Walter and Bessie Bellingrath). Following walking the gardens and home, as well as taking a fun river cruise on local Fowl River, children, families, and friends can have a relaxing lunch in the picnic area located outside of the gardens under large, old oak trees. For more information, visit Bellingrath Gardens and Home web page.
(APettersen) USS Battleship Memorial Park - Mobile, AL This is a great place to see some military hardware close up. The park has the battleship USS Alabama, the submarine USS Drum and lots of different kinds of aircraft for the kids to check out. Here is the link: www.**ussalabama**.com
(mthompson) 5 Rivers - Mobile Causeway This is a state park on the causeway. It is a great place to explore the delta. There is even a place that you can take a pontoon boat on a tour of the delta. There is a charge for the boat tour. There is an educational video that everyone can see and a great gift shop. I'm not sure about the contact information.I think it is www.fiveriversdelta.com
(Sottinger) Desoto Caverns - Childersburg, AL Desoto Caverns is one of our favorite vacation destinations. Who would have thought there were caverns in Alabama? This is a family friendly park, with lots to do. From panning for gemstones, to digging for fossils, to climbing through the caverns themselves, there is something for everyone to enjoy! Located only 36 miles from Birmingham, it is the perfect distance for a day or weekend trip! For more information and discount tickets, visit: http://desotocavernspark.com/
(mparkin) Spring Valley Beach- Blountsville, Alabama.
Spring Valley Beach is a man-made lake that is fun for all ages! It is perfect to take a family or even students. It has a huge concreted lake (just a huge swimming pool) with water slides and a kids play ground. It also has a separate area for grownups and older kids where there is a half-pipe water slide, giant tubed water slides, and even a concrete "surfing" slide. Be careful on the surfing slide though, its easy to get hurt. The website has all the info you need to enjoy a great, fun filled day! Visit: http://www.springvalleybeach.com/
(athomas) Sand Island Lighthouse - Dauphin Island
I used to work for the Boys and Girls Club during the summer and each summer we took a group out on a boat to see the lighthouse on Sand Island. It was a terrific history lesson. The tour guide on the boat provided us with a history of the Island for the entire boat ride. There are so many avenues you can take on this field trip. You could talk about how a lighthouse works, the effects that a hurricane can have, the importance of Sand Island during the Civil War, or the marine life surrounding the light house. http://www.sandislandlighthouse.com/
Lake Jackson was a popular hang out of my friends and myself when we were in high school. It is a state park, named after Andrew Jackson. There are many pluses to visiting this park. The scenery is beautiful. You can escape the often extreme Alabama heat by swimming in the lake or sitting under the beautiful shade trees. You can have picnics with your families and friends. You can fish from the banks or the pier. You can do various water sports, such as jet skiing, tubing, and/or boating. You can walk, run, or bicycle on the man-made trails. Your children can play on the playground on the property. As you can see, there are many fun options available for people of all ages.
If you'd like to see a little more for yourself, check out Lake Jackson's info page at http://www.alapark.com/Florala/.
(ssmith) Bellingrath Gardens - Theodore, AL
These gardens have a special place in everybody's heart and if you haven't had the opportunity to visit, you need to do so! Located in Theodore, AL, the gardens are within close proximity to larger communities/cities, such as Mobile. This is a great place to create memories with your loved ones and there are plenty of learning experiences for children. The staff are extraordinary and relate well to large groups of students, allowing for plenty of opportunity to experience nature and local history (the home of Walter and Bessie Bellingrath). Following walking the gardens and home, as well as taking a fun river cruise on local Fowl River, children, families, and friends can have a relaxing lunch in the picnic area located outside of the gardens under large, old oak trees. For more information, visit Bellingrath Gardens and Home web page.
(APettersen) USS Battleship Memorial Park - Mobile, AL
This is a great place to see some military hardware close up. The park has the battleship USS Alabama, the submarine USS Drum and lots of different kinds of aircraft for the kids to check out. Here is the link:
www.**ussalabama**.com
(mthompson) 5 Rivers - Mobile Causeway
This is a state park on the causeway. It is a great place to explore the delta. There is even a place that you can take a pontoon boat on a tour of the delta. There is a charge for the boat tour. There is an educational video that everyone can see and a great gift shop. I'm not sure about the contact information. I think it is www.fiveriversdelta.com
(Sottinger) Desoto Caverns - Childersburg, AL
Desoto Caverns is one of our favorite vacation destinations. Who would have thought there were caverns in Alabama? This is a family friendly park, with lots to do. From panning for gemstones, to digging for fossils, to climbing through the caverns themselves, there is something for everyone to enjoy! Located only 36 miles from Birmingham, it is the perfect distance for a day or weekend trip! For more information and discount tickets, visit: http://desotocavernspark.com/
(mparkin) Spring Valley Beach- Blountsville, Alabama.
Spring Valley Beach is a man-made lake that is fun for all ages! It is perfect to take a family or even students. It has a huge concreted lake (just a huge swimming pool) with water slides and a kids play ground. It also has a separate area for grownups and older kids where there is a half-pipe water slide, giant tubed water slides, and even a concrete "surfing" slide. Be careful on the surfing slide though, its easy to get hurt. The website has all the info you need to enjoy a great, fun filled day! Visit:
http://www.springvalleybeach.com/
(athomas) Sand Island Lighthouse - Dauphin Island
I used to work for the Boys and Girls Club during the summer and each summer we took a group out on a boat to see the lighthouse on Sand Island. It was a terrific history lesson. The tour guide on the boat provided us with a history of the Island for the entire boat ride. There are so many avenues you can take on this field trip. You could talk about how a lighthouse works, the effects that a hurricane can have, the importance of Sand Island during the Civil War, or the marine life surrounding the light house.
http://www.sandislandlighthouse.com/